Minnow tongs



24, 1955 c. T. BARBEE 3,201,888

MINNOW TONGS Filed June 22., 1962 INVENTOR. C LYDE. T BARBEE ATTORNEYS Clyde T.

This invention relates to a novel minnow tongs. The primary object of the invention is the provision of an easily used, and efficient device of the kind indicated,

for taking minnows from a container therefor, such as a minnow bucket, without putting the hands in the water therein, and without injury to minnows therein; and for easily and securely holding a minnow in position for insertion of a fishhook, without danger of injury to the hands or to the minnow.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple and inexpensive device of the character indicated above, which is composed of a minimum number of uncomplex parts which are easily manufactured and assembled.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purpose of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a device of the present invention, showing the same open, in full lines, and closed, in phantom lines;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on p the line 33 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of the device.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated device comprises a lower lever 10, an upper lever 12, and a headed pivot pin 14, which secures the levers swingably together where they cross.

The lower lever 10 comprises a flat bar having a straight, relatively narrow handle portion 16, formed on its left-hand side edge 18, at its outer end, with a lateral finger loop 20. At its longitudinally inward end, the handle portion 16 merges into a flared intermediate portion 22, having a left-hand side edge 24 continuous with the edge 18, and a conveXly curved right-hand side edge 26.

The lower lever 10 further comprises a forwardly flaring, flat plate 28, which is substantially wider than the intermediate portion 22, and whose longitudinal centerline is disposed at an acute angle to the longitudinal centerline of the handle portion 16, whereby the plate 28 reaches laterally outwardly beyond the left-hand side edges 18 and 24. The plate 28 has a longitudinally and convexly curved left-hand side edge 30, which, at its longitudinally inward end, intersects the left-hand side edge 24, as indicated at 32. The plate 28 has a longitudinally and convexly curved right-hand side edge 34 which is continuous with the right-hand side edge 26, of the intermediate portion 22. The leftand right-hand side edges 30 and 34 join, at their forward ends, the ends of a straight transverse forward edge 36, which is disposed substantially normal to the longitudinal centerline ofthe' plate 28. It is to be noted that, for use by a lefthanded person, the terms right-hand and left-hand would be reversed.

The forward edge 36 of the plate 28 has extending therealong a straight upstanding front wall 38, which extends from the left-hand side edge of the plate 28 toward the right-hand side edge thereof, whereat the wall United States Patent 38 has a laterally outwardly and rearwardly curved portion 40. The wall 38, except for the curved portion 40, is formed, at equally spaced intervals, with relatively narrow perpendicular water escape slots 42.

The curved end portion 40 of the front wall 38 merges into the forward end of an upstanding, rearwardly extending side wall 44 which is disposed ata slight laterally inward and rearward angle relative to and is somewhat longer than the wall 38, and is spaced laterally inwardly from the right-hand side edge of the plate 28. The plate 28 .has water-escape holes 45 distributed thereover.

The side wall 44 is lower than the front wall 38 and is formed with a plurality of equally spaced, relatively wide vertical slots 46, through which a fishhook is adapted to be selectively inserted, for hooking the fish-hook in a minnow. At a centered point substantially in transverse alignment with the intersecting point 32, the intermediate portion 22 is provided with a pivot hole 48, through which the headed pivot pin 14 is adapted to be engaged.

The upper lever 12 overlies and crosses the lower lever 10, and comprises a flat bar, preferably of the same gauge as the lower lever bar, which has a handle portion 50, a finger loop 52, and an intermediate portion 54, which are similar to but reversed with respect to the same components of the lower lever 10, the intermediate portion 54 having a centered pivot hole 56, for reception of the pivot pin 14.

In the forward end of the intermediate portion 54 is a forwardly extending relatively narrow flat plate 58, whose longitudinal centerline is substantially parallel to and is laterally offset to the left-hand side of the longitudinal centerline of the handle portion The plate 58 has a longitudinal convexly curved left-hand side edge 60 having the same curvature as the corresponding side edge 39 of the plate 28 of the lower lever 10, which has thereon, in a position to be engaged by the edge 60, as shown in FIGURE 1 an upstanding stop 62, in the open position of the device. The plate 58 has a forward end which is located close to and longitudinally-spaced from the rearward side of the transverse front wall 38.

The plate 58 has a straight right-hand side edge 66 along which rises a wall composed of a plurality of relatively widely spaced teeth 68 which are disposed at a slight laterally inward and upward angle relative to the plate 58, and hence to the plate 28.

In effect, the plate 28, front wall 38, and side wall 44 of the lower lever 10 constitute an open-top, opensided minnow container, whose open side is closed by the teeth 68 on the plate 58 of the upper lever 12.

In use and operation, the container of the device is inserted in a minnow bucket, in open condition, and a minnow scooped into the container and lifted out of the bucket, at the same time that the device is closed, so that the teeth 68 are moved toward the side wall '44, so as to position the minnow longitudinally in the container and lightly clamp the minnow, in an immobile condition, between the teeth 68 and the side wall 44. The slant of the teeth 68 serves to clamp the minnow down upon the plate 28 of the lower lever 10 without injury to the minnow. A fishhook (not shown) can then be selectively inserted through the spaces between the teeth 68 or through the slots 46 of the side wall 44 and accurately impaled in the minnow, after which the device is opened to release the minnow.

Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the at d,

scope of the invention as defined the appended thereto. 7

What is claimed is: V v l 1. A minnow tongs comprising a lower lever. and, an

, in I V M plate, an upstanding longitudinal wallextending on said plate rearwardlyifrom one end of said transversewall,

said upper lever'terminating at its forward end in a second flat plate substantially narrower-than the first plate of the lower lever, the forward 'endo'fthe second plate being located close'to and longitudinally-spaced from the rearward side of' said transversei. wall, and an upstanding longitudinal rwall extending along the edge of the secondpla te adjacentto" and opposed to the longitudinal "wall of tliefi'rst plate, said first and second plates being ':j 'arranged to have 'slidingcontact withfeach other as the levers are closed, the walls" being perforate, said trans- .platejbeing located close to and longit udinallv sp'acedw from the rearward side of said transverse wall, 1 and an upstanding longitudinal wall extending along the edge: of

as the levers are closed," the longitudinal wall of the upper level plate beingdisposed at an upward and laterally-inward angle relative to the second plate for :the second plate adjacent to 'andopposed to theilo'n'gi- I tudinalwall of :the first plate, said first .and s'econd, plates being: arranged. to have sliding contact with each other- ,1

holding a'ininnow upon the first plate and betweenthe longitudinal; walls as the levers are closed, saidQtrans-T "verse wall being taller than said longitudinal walls;

2. A minnow tongs according to.-'clairn1, wherein said; walls are formed with longitudinal spaced vertical slots.

, 3. A minnow tongs comprising a-lower lever{-an'clan upper lever, said levers being crossed and pivoted .to-

"gether intermediate their ends,rsaid lower lever terminating at its forward end in: a 'first flat plate, an upstanding transverse: wall extending across the forward end of said verse; wall being taller than the longitudinal walls.

"4. A f nin'now tongs according to claim 3, wherein said 'walls1are' formed with longitudinal spaeed vertical slots openingto theirupper edges. p I Y r 1 1 References Cited by the Exaininer UNITED STATES PATENTS 980,628; 1/111, Gilchrist 100-234 2,419,688 4/4; Mason 100-234 2,611,932 .9/52; Sea rs" 294-106 X 2,670,557 *3/54 Pachner, HQ, 43-4 1 FOREr6151' PATENTS 427,679 1'1/47 Italy.

7 [SAMUEL 'Pri mk iry ll itandiner ANDRES H. NIELSEN, ABRAHAM G. sTo E,

' p Examiners. 

1. A MINNOW TONGS COMPRISING A LOWER LEVER AND AN UPPER LEVER, SAID LEVERS BEING CROSSED AND PIVOTED TOGETHER INTERMEDIATE THEIR ENDS, SAID LOWER LEVER TERMINATING AT ITS FORWARD END IN A FIRST FLAT PLATE, AN UPSTANDING TRANSVERSE WALL EXTENDING ACROSS THE FORWARD END OF SAID PLATE, AN UPSTANDING LONGITUDINAL WALL EXTENDING ON SAID PLATE REARWARDLY FORM ONE END OF SAID TRANSVERSE WALL, SAID UPPER LEVER TERMINATING AT ITS FORWARD END IN A SECOND FLAT PLATE SUBSTANTIALLY NARROWER THAN THE FIRST PLATE OF THE LOWER LEVER, THE FORWARD END OF THE SECOND PLATE BEING LOCATED CLOSE TO AND LONGITUDINALLY-SPACED FROM THE REARWARD SIDE OF SAID TRANSVERSE WALL, AND AN UPSTANDING LONGITUDINAL WALL EXTENDING ALONG THE EDGE OF THE SECOND PLATE ADJACENT TO AND OPPOSED TO THE LONGITUDINAL WALL OF THE FIRST PLATE, SAID FIRST AND SECOND PLATES BEING ARRANGED TO HAVE SLIDING CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER AS THE LEVERS ARE CLOSED, THE LONGITUDINAL WALL OF THE UPPER LEVER PLATE BEING DISPOSED AT AN UPWARD AND LATERALLY-INWARD ANGLE RELATIVE TO THE SECOND PLATE FOR HOLDING A MINNOW UPON THE FIRST PLATE AND BETWEEN THE LONGITUDINAL WALLS AS THE LEVERS ARE CLOSED, SAID TRANSVERSE WALL BEING TALLER THAN SAID LONGITUDINAL WALLS. 